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Climate change has emerged as a crucial global issue that significantly threatens the survival of plants. In particular, low temperature (LT) is one of the critical environmental factors that influence plant morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes during both the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. LT, including abrupt drops in temperature, as well as winter conditions, can cause detrimental effects on the growth and development of tomato plants, ranging from sowing, transplanting, truss appearance, flowering, fertilization, flowering, fruit ripening, and yields. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the comprehensive mechanisms underlying the adaptation and acclimation of tomato plants to LT, from the morphological changes to the molecular levels. In this review, we discuss the previous and current knowledge of morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes, which contain vegetative and reproductive parameters involving the leaf length (LL), plant height (PH) stem diameter (SD), fruit set (FS), fruit ripening (FS), and fruit yield (FY), as well as photosynthetic parameters, cell membrane stability, osmolytes, and ROS homeostasis via antioxidants scavenging systems during LT stress in tomato plants. Moreover, we highlight recent advances in the understanding of molecular mechanisms, including LT perception, signaling transduction, gene regulation, and fruit ripening and epigenetic regulation. The comprehensive understanding of LT response provides a solid basis to develop the LT-resistant varieties for sustainable tomato production under the ever-changing temperature fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) is a crop of significant interest due to its nutritional value and resilience to drought conditions. However, drought, particularly following flowering, is a major factor contributing to yield reduction. This research employed two distinct Tartary buckwheat genotypes to investigate the effects of post-anthesis drought on growth and physicochemical characteristics. The study aimed to elucidate the response of Tartary buckwheat to drought stress. The findings indicated that post-anthesis drought adversely impacted the growth, morphology, and biomass accumulation of Tartary buckwheat. Drought stress enhanced the maximum photosynthetic capacity (Fv/Fm) and light protection ability (NPQ) of the 'Xiqiao-2' genotype. In response to drought stress, 'Dingku-1' and 'Xiqiao-2' maintained osmotic balance by accumulating soluble sugars and proline, respectively. Notably, 'Xiqiao-2' exhibited elevated levels of flavonoids and polyphenols in its leaves, which helped mitigate oxidative damage caused by drought. Furthermore, rewatering after a brief drought period significantly improved plant height, stem diameter, and biomass accumulation in 'Dingku-1'. Overall, 'Xiqiao-2' demonstrated greater long-term tolerance to post-anthesis drought, while 'Dingku-1' was less adversely affected by short-term post-anthesis drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Red-flesh apples (Malus sieversii f. niedzwetzkyana) have attracted attention from consumers and researchers due to their pleasant appearance and taste. These exotic apples are rich sources of nutrients and health-promoting polyphenols and phenolics. This study aimed to investigate morphological (40 quantitative and 13 qualitative traits) and biochemical (5 traits) characteristics of four socioeconomically important red-fleshed apple populations in North and Northeast region of Iran, which are understudied and under serious extinction risk. Results The examined characters exhibited wide and statistically significant variations, especially in leaf color (68.86%) and the number of seeds per fruit (61.61%), and more dramatically in the total flavonoids (146.64%) and total phenolics contents (105.81%). There were also strong variations in fresh fruit weight and fruit length, diameter, and flesh thickness. Red, with 34 accessions, was the dominant ripe fruit skin color. All biochemical traits also showed high variations, particularly in total flavonoid content. Red-fleshed Gavramak and Kalateh Khij apples contained the highest biochemical and morphological values, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first five principal components together accounted for more than 60.83% variation of the total observed variations. Moreover, the cluster dendrogram analysis based on Ward’s method indicated three different clusters based on the characters measured, indicating high variation among the accessions. Conclusion red-flesh apples can be considered suitable sources of natural antioxidants with great potential as healthy foods and nutraceutical applications. Based on the commercial characters, Red-fleshed Gavramak and Kalateh Khij apples showed the highest fruit quality with proper size and thus can be suggested as superior for cultivation or use in breeding programs due to having higher quality fruits.

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, due to the increase in the population and the change in people's dietary patterns, the consumption of vegetable oils is increasing. Among the oil plants, Castor (Ricinus communis L.) due to drought, relative resistance to salinity as well as fast and easy growth can be a good choice for producing high oil percentage and according to the effect of optimal plant nutrition in achieving proper yield, this research was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of the type of plant residues and integrated fertilizer management on yield and yield components of castor. Materials and methods: An experiment was carried out in the form of one-time split plots in the form of a basic design of randomized complete blocks in 3 replications in the crop year 2021-2022 in Andimshek city, located in the north of Khuzestan. Experimental treatments include the use of plant residues (without residues (control), rapeseed residues, wheat residues and corn residues) as the main plot and the type of fertilizer management that includes (completely chemical ((60)K (75)P (90)N), Organic (mixture of compost and vermicompost + Fertilizer 2 + supernitroplus + humic acid), Combined 1 (chemical base fertilizer + fertilizer 2 + supernitroplus + humic acid) and Consolidated 2 (compost and vermicompost mixture base fertilizer + Fertilizer 2 + supernitroplus + humic acid + urea vinegar) as a secondary plot in consideration. were taken. The studied traits included plant height, inflorescence height, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per plant, thousand seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, harvest index and oil percentage. Results: The results showed that the use of plant residues (corn, wheat and canola) and organic and integrated fertilizer 2 resulted in the highest number of seeds per plant, harvest index and oil percentage. So, with the use of organic fertilizer and wheat and corn residues, the highest harvest index was obtained. With the positive effect of combined fertilizer 2 on the percentage of oil, it can be stated that combined fertilizer 2 and corn residues have led to an increase in the quality of the castor plant. So that the grain yield had the highest correlation with the weight of 1000 seeds. Removal of plant residues caused a significant decrease in oil percentage (reduction in quality). But on the other hand, the application of plant residues had the least effect on yield and yield components. Conclusion: In general, the use of only chemical fertilizers led to an increase in yield and yield components of castor plant. In the event that organic fertilizer and corn residues led to a decrease in yield and yield components. In this study, chemical fertilizer treatment is the most successful in yield and yield components, and organic fertilizer and corn and wheat residues are the most successful in castor seed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of morphological traits on the body weight of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) was investigated by correlation analysis, path analysis and multiple regression analysis. We evaluated the relationships between shell length (SL), shell width (SW) and body weight (BW, the total wet weight) in two different strains of Pacific abalone. One strain is 'Huangxun No. 1', which is from the fifth generation of a novel strain that has experienced higher shell growth rate selection, and the other strain is a first-generation descendant of wild Pacific abalone. The results of the correlation analysis showed that both SL and SW were significantly (p < 0.05) positively correlated with BW in both strains. Path analysis showed that SL significantly affected the BW of the 'Huangxun No. 1' strain, while SW significantly affected BW at only one of the four ages tested. Both SL and SW significantly affected the BW of the wild strain at the four ages tested. The determination coefficients of SL on BW in the 'Huangxun No. 1' strain at 3, 6, 13 and 19 months of age were 0.835, 0.141, 0.834 and 0.708, respectively, while those in the wild strain were 0.476, 0.237, 0.344 and 0.141, respectively. In addition, the SL/SW in the 'Huangxun No. 1' strain ranged from 1.453 to 1.509, while that of the wild-type strain ranged from 1.389 to 1.497. The allometric growth analyses showed positive allometric growth for 'Huangxun No. 1' from 3 to 19 months of age, while the wild strain did not show such growth. These results suggest that multiple generations of selection for a higher SL growth rate may have led to variation in shell morphological traits and that shell width may be a less important factor in determining body weight in the 'Huangxun No. 1' strain, while shell length can be used as an effective morphological trait for selective breeding to increase body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the response mechanism of Passiflora edulis Sims to drought stress, the changes in morphological and physiological traits of Passiflora edulis Sims under different drought conditions were studied. A total of 7 germplasm resources of Passiflora edulis Sims were selected and tested under drought stress by the pot culture method under 4 treatment levels: 75%-80% (Control, CK) of maximum field water capacity, 55%-60% (Light Drought, LD) of maximum field water capacity, i.e., mild drought, 40%-45% (Moderate Drought, MD) of maximum field water capacity, i.e., moderate drought and 30%-35% (Severe Drought, SD) of maximum field water capacity, i.e., severe drought. On the 40th day of drought treatment, 13 indices, including seedling growth morphology, physiology, and biochemistry, were measured. The results showed that under drought stress, the height and ground diameter of P. edulis Sims gradually decreased with increasing drought stress, and there were significant differences in seedling height and ground diameter among the treatments. Drought stress significantly inhibited the growth of seven P. edulis Sims varieties. The contents of soluble sugar (SS), soluble protein (SP), proline (Pro), and other substances in P. edulis Sims basically increased with increasing drought stress. With the aggravation of drought stress, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of P. edulis Sims tended to increase to different degrees, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and peroxidase (POD) activity both tended to increase at first and then decrease, and the change in catalase (CAT) activity mostly showed a gradual increasing trend. The contents of endogenous hormones in P. edulis Sims significantly differed under different degrees of drought stress. With the aggravation of drought stress, the abscisic acid (ABA) content of P. edulis Sims tended to increase, whereas the contents of gibberellin (GA), indoleacetic acid (IAA), and zeatin nucleoside (ZR) exhibited a downward trend. A comprehensive evaluation of the drought resistance of seven P. edulis Sims varieties was conducted based on the principal component analysis method, and the results showed that the drought resistance decreased in the order XH-BL > XH-TWZ > TN1 > GH1 > ZJ-MT > LP-LZ > DH-JW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild carrot is a problematic weed that can threaten the genetic purity of cultivated carrots by hybridization. Wild carrots must be controlled before flowering to avoid the undesirable crossing with cultivated carrots. Understanding wild carrot's vegetative growth pattern helps formulate sustainable weed management practices. However, little is known about the vegetative growth patterns of wild and cultivated carrots. A pot experiment was carried out to compare and model the vegetative growth pattern of different morphological traits in both wild and cultivated carrots. This study was executed in a glasshouse located in Palmerston North, New Zealand. A factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors and four replications was used. The first factor was assigned to the carrot genotype (cultivated and wild) and the second factor to length of juvenile stages (12-weeks, 8-weeks, and 4-weeks). Plant height, leaf number, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, root diameter and root length were measured. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), correlation, and regression analysis. At the 8-week juvenile stage (9–11 leaves stage), wild carrot's shoot and root characteristics exhibited rapid growth. Correlation analysis indicated positive and significant (p

Climate change has emerged as a crucial global issue that significantly threatens the survival of plants. In particular, low temperature (LT) is one of the critical environmental factors that influence plant morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes during both the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. LT, including abrupt drops in temperature, as well as winter conditions, can cause detrimental effects on the growth and development of tomato plants, ranging from sowing, transplanting, truss appearance, flowering, fertilization, flowering, fruit ripening, and yields. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the comprehensive mechanisms underlying the adaptation and acclimation of tomato plants to LT, from the morphological changes to the molecular levels. In this review, we discuss the previous and current knowledge of morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes, which contain vegetative and reproductive parameters involving the leaf length (LL), plant height (PH) stem diameter (SD), fruit set (FS), fruit ripening (FS), and fruit yield (FY), as well as photosynthetic parameters, cell membrane stability, osmolytes, and ROS homeostasis via antioxidants scavenging systems during LT stress in tomato plants. Moreover, we highlight recent advances in the understanding of molecular mechanisms, including LT perception, signaling transduction, gene regulation, and fruit ripening and epigenetic regulation. The comprehensive understanding of LT response provides a solid basis to develop the LT-resistant varieties for sustainable tomato production under the ever-changing temperature fluctuations.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) is a crop of significant interest due to its nutritional value and resilience to drought conditions. However, drought, particularly following flowering, is a major factor contributing to yield reduction. This research employed two distinct Tartary buckwheat genotypes to investigate the effects of post-anthesis drought on growth and physicochemical characteristics. The study aimed to elucidate the response of Tartary buckwheat to drought stress. The findings indicated that post-anthesis drought adversely impacted the growth, morphology, and biomass accumulation of Tartary buckwheat. Drought stress enhanced the maximum photosynthetic capacity (Fv/Fm) and light protection ability (NPQ) of the ‘Xiqiao-2’ genotype. In response to drought stress, ‘Dingku-1’ and ‘Xiqiao-2’ maintained osmotic balance by accumulating soluble sugars and proline, respectively. Notably, ‘Xiqiao-2’ exhibited elevated levels of flavonoids and polyphenols in its leaves, which helped mitigate oxidative damage caused by drought. Furthermore, rewatering after a brief drought period significantly improved plant height, stem diameter, and biomass accumulation in ‘Dingku-1’. Overall, ‘Xiqiao-2’ demonstrated greater long-term tolerance to post-anthesis drought, while ‘Dingku-1’ was less adversely affected by short-term post-anthesis drought.

Prunus salicina 'Shazikongxinli' is one of China's most economically valuable and reputable Prunus salicina cultivars. Understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of 'Shazikongxinli' is imperative for excellent germplasm breeding and the preservation of genetic resources. This work used morphological markers, inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP), and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) to assess the genetic variation status of 50 'Shazikongxinli', with 18 plum cultivars selected as the control outgroup. The results showed that the average Shannon–Weaver diversity index (H') of 32 qualitative traits in 50 tests 'Shazikongxinli' was 0.557, the average coefficient of variation of 11 quantitative traits was 15.57%, and a total of 232 and 105 polymorphic loci were obtained from 22 IRAP and 15 ISSR primers, respectively. All three marker systems showed relatively rich polymorphism, especially the IRAP markers. This might be related to the nature of the retrotransposons in the IRAP markers, which might be more suitable for intraspecific variability detection than ISSR. In addition, all three markers clustered the 68 tested germplasms into two groups. All of 'Shazikongxinli' clustered into one group, and most outgroup plum cultivars clustered into another group. This suggested a relatively narrow genetic base within the 'Shazikongxinli' population. These results would be useful in understanding the genetic diversity of the germplasm resources of 'Shazikongxinli' and provide a basic theoretical reference for breeding superior germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light intensity is a determinant for submerged macrophytes. Little is known about their molecular responses to low‐light exposure, despite more informative and responsive than morphological traits. For erect‐type submerged macrophytes, the stem is more crucial relative to the leaf in acclimation to low‐light stress, but receives less attention. We determined morphological and stem transcriptomic responses/acclimations of Hydrilla verticillata to extremely and mildly low light (7.2 and 36 μmol photons m−2 s−1, respectively), that is, EL and ML, with the radiation intensity of 180 μmol photons m−2 s−1 as the control. Low‐light exposure continued for 9 days, followed by a 7‐day recovery phase (180 μmol photons m−2 s−1). At the exposure phase, the low‐light treatments, in particular the EL, decreased the relative growth ratio, but induced greater height and longer stem internode distance and epidermal cell. Such responses/acclimations continued into the recovery phase, despite more or less changes in the magnitude. Transcriptome showed that the photosynthetic system was inhibited at the exposure phase, but the macrophyte adjusted hormone synthesis relating to cell division and elongation. Moreover, the EL activated cell stress responses such as DNA repair. Following light recovery, the macrophyte exhibited a strong‐light response, although energy metabolism enhanced. Especially, the EL enriched the pathways relating to anthocyanin synthesis at such phase, indicating an activation of photoprotective mechanism. Our findings suggest that negative influences of low light occur at both low‐light exposure and recovery phases, but submerged macrophytes would acclimate to light environments. Transcriptome can show molecular basis of plant responses/acclimations, including but not limited to morphology. This study establishes a bridge connecting morphological and molecular responses/acclimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native chickens in Ethiopia are characterized in a fragmented manner for their performance characteristics and genotypes. This review aimed to explore the production and reproduction performance characteristics as well as the morphometric and morphological diversity of Ethiopian native chickens. The investigation was performed on four production performance characteristics, including average egg per clutch, average clutch/hen/year, average egg set/hen, and average egg/hen/year, as well as six reproductive performance characteristics, including age at first laying, age of male chickens at first bred, age at which female chickens are first bred, the reproductive life span of males and females, and fertility percentage in various parts of Ethiopia. Some economically practical morphometric characteristics of native chickens, such as shank length, chest circumference, comb length, body weight, body length, keel length, wattle length, neck length, back length, and morphological diversity, were also summarized. Regarding performance characteristics, there were some variations in eggs’ average production performance per clutch (13.56-15.4 eggs) and clutch/hen/year (3.0-4.29) in Ethiopia. The average reproduction performance characteristics of Ethiopian native chickens for age at first laying (6.90-7.13 months), age of male chickens at first bred (5.87-6.15 months), female at first bred (5.20-5.93 months), the reproductive life span of males (3.79 years) and hens (3.56 years), and chicks hatched from set eggs revealed variation across Ethiopia. In various locations of Ethiopia, the average trait values reported for Ethiopian native chickens under the farmer’s management differed in terms of morphometric and morphological features. The variation observed in performance characteristics, as well as morphometrics and morphological characteristics for Ethiopian native chicken ecotype population, can help the native breed classification, unique trait conservation, and breed improvement intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cacti are economic ornamental plants whose value varies with market trends. Recently, cacti with new morphologies compared to the original plant have decreased in popularity. Colchicine is a tricyelic alkaloid substance, It is an inhibitor of mitosis thus preventing the formation of microtubuli and the mitotic spindle. This research investigated the effect of colchicine on inducing morphological and anatomical traits in Gymnocalycium mihanovichii using a 2-factor factorial completely randomized design (CRD) The first factor was the duration of the dipped stem at 24 and 48 h, while the second factor was the colchicine concentration at 0.25 and 0.5 %. Results indicated that G. mihanovichii treated with colchicine at different concentrations and dipping durations showed statistically significant differences in plant height, stem diameter, number of spines and root length. G. mihanovichii treated with 0.50 % colchicine for 48 h developed a new morphological trait called spineless cactus. Occurrences of larger sized stomata with lower frequency per unit area were statistically significantly different after treatment with 0.25 % colchicine for 24 h. Maximum length of stomatal guard cells was 50.33 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a shade plant with high ornamental value, Saxifraga stolonifera is often used in landscape of courtyards and gardens. The light intensity may have an important infuence on its growth performance, especially on leaf color, formation and coloration of leaf variegation, which subsequently affects its ornamental value. However, the related study has not been reported before. In order to explore the adaptability of different cultivars of S. stolonifera to light intensity and understand their light or shade tolerance, three internationally-registered cultivars raised in China were used as the experimental materials, the effects of five light intensity treatments (100%, 85%, 60%, 40% and 15%) on plant growth and development and photosynthetic physiological indexes were investigated. The suitable indexes of light intensity for S. stolonifera were screened by the principal component analysis, and the light tolerance of the cultivars was evaluated by membership function analysis. The results were as follows: (1) The number of blades, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, specific leaf area, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll contents increased with shading. (2) The number of stolons, fresh weight above ground, dry weight above ground, stolon diameter, and the contents of carotenoid and flavonoids increased first and then decreased. (3) The maximum fluorescence value and the contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein and malondialdehyde of the leaves decreased with shading. (4) By analysis of principal component and membership function, the significant differences were found in the adaptability of the three cultivars to light intensity, ‘Xue Wen’ > ‘Tianmu Enci’ > ‘Hei Kui’. In which, 40% light intensity was optimal for ‘Xue Wen’, and 15%-40% light intensities were optimal for ‘Tianmu Enci’ and ‘Hei Kui’. Therefore, in horticultural practice, the suitable light intensity should be considered according to the cultivars of Saxifraga.

Abstract Light intensity is a determinant for submerged macrophytes. Little is known about their molecular responses to low‐light exposure, despite more informative and responsive than morphological traits. For erect‐type submerged macrophytes, the stem is more crucial relative to the leaf in acclimation to low‐light stress, but receives less attention. We determined morphological and stem transcriptomic responses/acclimations of Hydrilla verticillata to extremely and mildly low light (7.2 and 36 μmol photons m−2 s−1, respectively), that is, EL and ML, with the radiation intensity of 180 μmol photons m−2 s−1 as the control. Low‐light exposure continued for 9 days, followed by a 7‐day recovery phase (180 μmol photons m−2 s−1). At the exposure phase, the low‐light treatments, in particular the EL, decreased the relative growth ratio, but induced greater height and longer stem internode distance and epidermal cell. Such responses/acclimations continued into the recovery phase, despite more or less changes in the magnitude. Transcriptome showed that the photosynthetic system was inhibited at the exposure phase, but the macrophyte adjusted hormone synthesis relating to cell division and elongation. Moreover, the EL activated cell stress responses such as DNA repair. Following light recovery, the macrophyte exhibited a strong‐light response, although energy metabolism enhanced. Especially, the EL enriched the pathways relating to anthocyanin synthesis at such phase, indicating an activation of photoprotective mechanism. Our findings suggest that negative influences of low light occur at both low‐light exposure and recovery phases, but submerged macrophytes would acclimate to light environments. Transcriptome can show molecular basis of plant responses/acclimations, including but not limited to morphology. This study establishes a bridge connecting morphological and molecular responses/acclimations.

Trait-based ecology is a rapidly growing approach for developing insights and predictions for data-poor species. Caudal tail fin shape has the potential to reveal much about the energetics, activity and ecology of fishes and can be rapidly measured from field guides, which is particularly helpful for data-sparse species. One outstanding question is whether swimming speed in sharks is related to two morphological traits: caudal fin aspect ratio (CFAR, height2/tail area) and caudal lobe asymmetry ratio (CLAR). We derived both metrics from the species drawings in Sharks of the world (Ebert et al. 2013 Sharks of the world: a fully illustrated guide) and related fin shape to two published datasets of (1) instantaneous swimming speeds (Jacoby et al. 2015 Biol. Lett. 11, 20150781 (doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0781)) and (2) cruising speeds (Harding et al. 2021 Funct. Ecol. 35, 1951–1959 (doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13869)) for 28 total unique shark species. Both estimates of swimming speed were positively related to CFAR (and weakly negatively to CLAR). Hence, shark species with larger CFAR and more symmetric tails (low CLAR) tended to be faster-moving and have higher average speeds. This relationship demonstrates the opportunity to use tail shape as an easily measured trait to index shark swimming speed to broader trait-based analyses of ecological function and extinction risk.

As a shade plant with high ornamental value, Saxifraga stolonifera is often used in landscape of courtyards and gardens. The light intensity may have an important infuence on its growth performance, especially on leaf color, formation and coloration of leaf variegation, which subsequently affects its ornamental value. However, the related study has not been reported before. In order to explore the adaptability of different cultivars of S. stolonifera to light intensity and understand their light or shade tolerance, three internationally-registered cultivars raised in China were used as the experimental materials, the effects of five light intensity treatments(100%, 85%, 60%, 40% and 15%)on plant growth and development and photosynthetic physiological indexes were investigated. The suitable indexes of light intensity for S. stolonifera were screened by the principal component analysis, and the light tolerance of the cultivars was evaluated by membership function analysis. The results were as follows:(1)The number of blades, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, specific leaf area, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll contents increased with shading.(2)The number of stolons, fresh weight above ground, dry weight above ground, stolon diameter, and the contents of carotenoid and flavonoids increased first and then decreased.(3)The maximum fluorescence value and the contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein and malondialdehyde of the leaves decreased with shading.(4)By analysis of principal component and membership function, the significant differences were found in the adaptability of the three cultivars to light intensity, ‘Xue Wen' > ‘Tianmu Enci' > ‘Hei Kui'. In which, 40% light intensity was optimal for ‘Xue Wen', and 15%-40% light intensities were optimal for ‘Tianmu Enci' and ‘Hei Kui'. Therefore, in horticultural practice, the suitable light intensity should be considered according to the cultivars of Saxifraga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find out the correlation among the quantitative characters and influencing factors of production of Macridiscus multifarius, high phenotypic traits shell length (SL), shell height (SH), shell width (SW), body mass (BM) of randomly selected different geographic groups of wild equilateral shallow clam in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province were measured, and relationship between morphological traits and weight traits of M. multifarius was analyzed by path analysis. The results showed that the effects of morphological traits on body mass were different between the two populations, and shell height had the greatest influence on body mass in Shengsi population, while shell width was the most influential trait on body mass in Putuo population. The correlation coefficients between morphological traits and body mass of the two populations were great and with extremely significant correlation. The indirect action of morphological traits on body mass was greater than the direct action. The regression equations of variables with significant partial regression coefficients for body mass were expressed as Y=0.505X1 + 0.773X2 + 0.723X3-41.313, Y =0.258X1 + 0.432X2 + 0.888X3-23.607, where Y represents body mass, X1, X2 and X3 represent shell length, shell height and shell width, respectively. The regression coefficients of the two equations are extremely significant. The results showed that the shell height of Shengsi population was an ideal index to measure the body weight in the breeding of the equilateral shallow clam, while the shell width of Putuo population should be paid attention to, and this may provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of M. multifarious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of shell morphological traits on the body mass of wild Paphia textile and provide references for artificial breeding of P. textile.【Method】Four traits including shell length(SL), shell height(SH), shell width(SW) and body mass(BM) of 121 P. textile randomly chosen from Beihai, Guangxi Province were measured. The shell traits(SL, SH, SW) were used as independent variables and body(BM) was used as dependent variable for correlation, path, determination coefficients and multiple regression analysis.【Result】The maximal coefficient of variance is in body mass, with extremely significant differences in correlation coefficients among the four quantitative traits of P. textile. The correlation coefficient between body mass and shell width is the maximal, with a value of 0.882, and the minimal correlation coefficient is between shell length and shell width, with a value of 0.596. The results of path analysis indicate that shell width has the greatest direct influence on body mass, and the path coefficient is 0.573.The indirect influence of shell height through shell width on body mass is the greatest, and the path coefficient is 0.423. The results of degree of determination analysis are consistent with those of the path analysis results. The optimal multiple regression equation of shell traits on body mass is established through stepwise multiple regression analysis: BM=-32.258+0.309SL+0.356SH+1.456SW(R2=0.874).【Conclusion】When it comes to artificial breeding of P. textile with body mass as breeding objective, shell width should be considered first and the cooperative selection of shell height should be strengthened at the same time.

Background: Eggplant is an important vegetable that has long been cultivated in different parts of Iran. The major objectives of the eggplant breeding program are to improve fruit quality, increase yield performance through heterosis breeding, and introduce abilities of pest and disease resistance from wild relatives. In order to select suitable parents for breeding purposes, with respect to the genetic and morphological diversity of eggplant cultivars, it is necessary to have sufficient knowledge of genetic diversity and classification of germplasms. Methods: This experiment was conducted in a randomized block design at the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII) in Karaj, Iran. Here, morphological diversity was assessed among a collection of eggplants which comprised four Iranian lines and 13 non-Iranian genotypes. For this purpose, 16 morphological traits were analyzed in the plants. Given the weakness of morphological analysis in providing precise characterizations of genetic divergence, a molecular study was also carried out by using five Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. In addition to the univariate analysis, the multi-descriptor variation was studied among the genotypes using two methods of multivariate analyses. Results: The genotypes differed significantly in terms of the morphological traits. The multivariate analyses of morphological data indicated that eggplants from two different origins were clearly differentiated. Three main clusters were distinguished by a morphological UPGMA dendrogram in which non-Iranian genotypes, with the exception of 11,212, constituted cluster I and required the maximum number of days to flower, days to fruit set, and days to first harvest. Cluster II was identified with two Iranian lines BJ30, Y60, and one non-Iranian genotype (11,212) which showed the highest values of stem diameter, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit length-to-width ratio, number of fruits per plant, and yield. Cluster III comprised two Iranian lines, D1 and D7, and showed the maximum plant height, number of internodes, number of nodes, number of leaves, number of stems, fruit weight, and fruits weight per plant. The highest and lowest intra-cluster genetic distances were observed in cluster I and cluster II, respectively. Based on SSR analysis, high levels of similarity were detected between several genotypes, namely, Y60 and 13,411; BJ30 and 1111; D7 and 13,521; 21,881 and 13,421. Conclusions: High levels of heterozygosity and polymorphism information content (PIC) were observed in this study. This not only indicated high levels of polymorphism and an equal distribution of the evaluated loci but also suggested that these genotypes can be considered for the development of diverse parental lines which are of interest in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Natural hybridization can influence the adaptive response to selection and accelerate species diversification. Understanding the composition and structure of hybrid zones may elucidate patterns of hybridization processes that are important to the formation and maintenance of species, especially for taxa that have experienced rapidly adaptive radiation. Here, we used morphological traits, ddRAD-seq and plastid DNA sequence data to investigate the structure of a Rhododendron hybrid zone and uncover the hybridization patterns among three sympatric and closely related species. Results Our results show that the hybrid zone is complex, where bi-directional hybridization takes place among the three sympatric parental species: R. spinuliferum, R. scabrifolium, and R. spiciferum. Hybrids between R. spinuliferum and R. spiciferum (R. ×duclouxii) comprise multiple hybrid classes and a high proportion of F1 generation hybrids, while a novel hybrid taxon between R. spinuliferum and R. scabrifolium dominated the F2 generation, but no backcross individuals were detected. The hybrid zone showed basically coincident patterns of population structure between genomic and morphological data. Conclusions Natural hybridization exists among the three Rhododendron species in the hybrid zone, although patterns of hybrid formation vary between hybrid taxa, which may result in different evolutionary outcomes. This study represents a unique opportunity to dissect the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms associated with adaptive radiation of Rhododendron species in a biodiversity hotspot.

The genetic diversity of wild thyme (Thymus capitatus) which growing in southern parts of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region, Libya was studied by using cluster analysis of morphological traits (flower measurements). This study was aimed to establish the phylogenetic relationships based on floral parameters among accessions of thyme (T.capitatus). The five populations (accessions) of Libyan thyme were assigned into two clusters (clades) at the critical distance value of 22%. The 1stcluster contained three populations that were included white-flowered, dotted white-flowered and violet-flowered accession, then the 1st cluster was divided into two sub-clusters by the critical distance value of 5%, the first sub-cluster contained two populations (white-flowered, dotted white-flowered accession). While, the second sub-cluster contained one population (violet-flowered accession). The 2nd cluster contained two populations which were purple-flowered and mosaic-flowered accessions. In conclusion, The flower measurements can be a preliminary tool to classify Libyan thyme (T.capitatus), and floral parameters can be used in the classification of Libyan thyme accessions (populations).

Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) is one of the most widely cultivated brown marine macroalgae species in the North Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific Oceans. To meet the expanding demands of the sugar kelp mariculture industry, selecting and breeding sugar kelp that is best suited to offshore farm environments is becoming necessary. To that end, a multi-year, multi-institutional breeding program was established by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program. Hybrid sporophytes were generated using 203 unique gametophyte cultures derived from wild-collected Saccharina spp. for two seasons of farm trials (2019–2020 and 2020–2021). The wild sporophytes were collected from 10 different locations within the Gulf of Maine (USA) region, including both sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) and the skinny kelp species (Saccharina angustissima). We harvested 232 common farm plots during these two seasons with available data. We found that farmed kelp plots with skinny kelp as parents had an average increased yield over the mean (wet weight 2.48 ± 0.90 kg m−1 and dry weight 0.32 ± 0.10 kg m−1) in both growing seasons. We also found that blade length positively correlated with biomass in skinny kelp x sugar kelp crosses or pure sugar kelp crosses. The skinny x sugar progenies had significantly longer and narrower blades than the pure sugar kelp progenies in both seasons. Overall, these findings suggest that sugar x skinny kelp crosses provide improved yield compared to pure sugar kelp crosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open green spaces in urban area can be utilized in many ways. Recently, more of the open spaces have been cultivated for vegetable production, gradually shifted from aesthetical purpose to the need for fresh healthy foods. Urban vegetable farming can be conventionally practiced on a limited backyard. Our research was aimed to assess the effects of shading treatments on growth and yield of purple pakchoi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis). The research was arranged based on the randomized block design with 4 levels of shading treatment. The results showed that shading treatments at 0%, 45%, 55%, and 80% significantly affected morphological growth traits, including plant height, number of leaf, lengths of petiole, length of leaf midrib, width of leaf blade, canopy diameter, and leaf SPAD index, total leaf fresh and dry weights, total fresh and dry roots, and lengths of stem; but did not significantly affect the leaf thickness. In all affected traits, heavier shading inhibited growth, confirming that the purple pakchoi prefers full sunlight. The leaf of purple pakchoi reached its maximum size at less than 14 days counted from the first day of leaf blade was fully unfolded. Purple pakchoi can be harvested at 35 days after transplanting. The accurate leaf area estimation in purple pakchoi can be achieved by using LW as predictor and calculated using the power regression (R² = 0.9806). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to establish a multivariate model using two complementary multivariate statistical techniques, factor analysis and multiple stepwise regression to predict carcase characteristics, carcase cuts, internal fat, viscera and loin eye area from body measurements of goats Boer mestizos. Thirty-two goats were used, with initial average weights of 3.3 ± 0.61 kg and final average weights of 16 ± 2.5 kg. Before slaughter and after 16 h of fasting, body weight was measured along with the biometric measurements (BMs) of each animal: body length, withers height, croup height, chest width, croup width, croup perimeter, thoracic perimeter, leg length and thigh circumference. The half carcases were sectioned in six anatomical regions that made up the commercial cuts: neck, palette, rib, handsaw, loin and ham. BMs showed a high correlation with a few exceptions; most of the correlations are above 50%. What also happens with the Carcass weight and cuts were also correlated above 50% with BMs. The data presented an index for the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test of 0.80, demonstrating the adequacy of the factor analysis. Through factor analysis, it was possible to observe that the first two factors extracted accumulated 75.47% of the total variance of the studied characteristics. Moderate to high and positive correlations of morphological characteristics with body weight, carcase characteristics and primary carcase cuts suggested the adequacy of morphological characteristics as criteria for early selection of crossbred Boer goats for their body weight and carcase characteristics without slaughter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of propagules markedly impact the germination and plant growth of submerged macrophytes. Vallisneria spinulosa S.Z. Yan is a common submerged macrophyte and has been widely used in lake restoration projects. The responses of tuber germination and plant growth to different tuber sizes and burial depths are not well known for this species and may vary with light intensity. In this study, the tuber germination and plant growth of V. spinulosa germinated from two levels of tuber sizes (large and small) and two different burial depths in the sediment (5 and 15 cm) were tested at two light intensities (high and low) by measuring morphological and physiological traits. Although light intensity, tuber size and burial depth did not affect the tuber germination, they significantly influenced the morphological and physiological traits of the plants. Light intensity had the greatest effect on plant growth, followed by tuber size, while burial depth had the least effect. High light, large tuber and shallow burial depth favoured the plant growth performance (plant biomass, ramet and leaf numbers). The growth performance of plants germinated from small tubers was more susceptible to changes in light intensity and burial depth. Soluble carbohydrate and free amino acid contents were negatively and starch content positively correlated with the morphological traits. The study highlights the importance of tuber size and burial depth for plant growth as well as their interactions with light, which should be considered when determining lake management and restoration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of Dendrobium 'Earsakul' with improved resistance to black rot is essential for sustainable orchid production. In this study, in vitro mutagenesis and selection was used to breed D. 'Earsakul' for black rot resistance, evaluated black rot resistance levels in mutants and controls using detached leaf assay, and characterized putative resistant mutants using molecular markers, cytology, and morphological traits. Mutagenized protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) obtained by 1.4% (LD30) and 1.8% (LD50) ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) concentrations and non-mutagenized PLBs were selected on a pea sucrose broth (PSB) medium supplemented with 0, 30, and 50% (first 2 cycles) and 0, 40, and 60% (third cycle) of Phytophthora palmivora culture filtrates (CFs). Fifty putative resistant mutants were obtained, and 42 of these were used for resistance level evaluation by detached leaf assay using P. palmivora isolate NK-53–9. The results revealed 13 resistant putative mutants, including 4 highly resistant putative mutants and 9 resistant putative mutants. Ten surviving resistant putative mutants were genetically different from the non-mutagenized controls and were confirmed as mutants after inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis. Based on flow cytometry, the resistant mutants and non-mutagenized controls possessed the same chromosome number of 2n + 4n + 8n. Moreover, a mutant, SUT17E18316, exhibiting maximum DNA content and genome size was identified. Morphological characterization revealed that most of the black rot–resistant mutants were morphologically different on some characters from non-mutagenized lines, such as plant height and number of roots. Particularly, the highly resistant mutant SUT13E18305 which possessed outstanding characters may be useful for future commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil flax (Linum humile) is one of the valuable agricultural crops, the seeds and oil of which are used in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Due to its unique chemical composition, linseed oil is used for the production of high-quality varnishes, paints and oils. In recent years, flax seeds and oil have been increasingly used in the food and confectionery industry. Oil flax is a highly profitable crop due to its high oil content (45-50 %) and potential yield (2-2.5 t/ha). The total cultivated area of linseed oil in Ukraine is about 70,000 hectares. The steppe zone of Ukraine is characterized by an insufficient amount of precipitation in the summer period, which makes it a risky territory for flax cultivation. Summer drought, characterized by excessive levels of solar radiation, lack of precipitation, dryness and high air temperature, contributes to excessive loss of water by plants and drying of soils. The consequences of the summer drought are a decrease in the quantity and quality of the harvest. Preservation of crop yields in dry summer conditions is possible due to sowing in the "February-March window". The use of varieties resistant to low temperatures will prevent crop losses due to earlier periods of flowering and fruiting. Therefore, the creation of cold- and winter-resistant varieties of this culture is an urgent and promising task of modern breeding. Sowing oil flax as a winter crop would allow the plants to develop a significant vegetative mass of the habitus and increase the number of stems on the plant, which would increase the yield. One of the potential highly effective genetic sources of winter hardiness of flax is the Italian variety Sideral. In the Italian regions of Tuscany and Bologna, as well as in the south of France, this variety is successfully grown as a winter variety. However, the winter period in these regions is milder: the average temperature in winter ranges from 2°С to 8°С, and at lower temperatures, snow cover appears in the north of Italy and the south of France. The purpose of our work was to study the biological features of plants and economically valuable traits of flax of the oil variety Sideral in comparison with the standard variety Southern Night for cultivation in arid climatic conditions of the southeast of Ukraine in order to involve it in breeding programs for the creation of wintering varieties of flax. In the course of the conducted research, it was established that the foreign selection variety Sideral is characterized by increased cold resistance in comparison with the Ukrainian standard variety Pivdenna Nich. It was found that the studied varieties had similar morphological features in terms of flower and seed color. It was established that the Sideral variety had a significantly higher leafiness, a lower height, a shorter root length and a larger number of lateral roots. The researched variety of Italian selection in the conditions of the Steppe of Ukraine had a growing season of 95 days, an oil content of 44.4 %, but produced a yield of 1.48 t/ha, which is lower than that of the standard variety. As a donor of cold resistance, the Sideral variety is included in the system of complex crossings to obtain valuable breeding material and create wintering flax varieties in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological interactions link species in networks. Loss of species from or introduction of new species into an existing network may have substantial effects for interaction patterns. Predicting changes in interaction frequency while allowing for rewiring of existing interactions—and hence estimating the consequences of community compositional changes—is thus a central challenge for network ecology. Interactions between species groups, such as pollinators and flowers or parasitoids and hosts, are moderated by matching morphological traits or sensory clues, most of which are unknown to us. If these traits are phylogenetically conserved, however, we can use phylogenetic distances to construct latent, surrogate traits and try to match those across groups, in addition to observed traits. Understanding how important traits and trait matching are, relative to abundances and chance, is crucial to estimating the fundamental predictability of network interactions. Here, we present a statistically sound approach ("tapnet") to fitting abundances, traits, and phylogeny to observed network data to predict interaction frequencies. We thereby expand existing approaches to quantitative bipartite networks, which so far have failed to correctly represent the nonindependence of network interactions. Furthermore, we use simulations and cross validation on independent data to evaluate the predictive power of the fit. Our results show that tapnet is on a par with abundance-only, matching centrality, and machine learning approaches. This approach also allows us to evaluate how well current concepts of trait matching work. On the basis of our results, we expect that interactions in well-sampled networks can be well predicted if traits and abundances are the main driver of interaction frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexican lime growing in Hormozgan province is an awesome example of industrial horticultural crops production in Iran. However, over the last two decades, witch's broom disease of Lime (WBDL), caused by Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia, has devastated Mexican lime orchards in south of Iran. The disease can result in shortened internodes and small leaves in the infected trees, then gradually leading to dry trees out within five to eight years. Furthermore, infected trees undergo significant changes in phenol compounds and enzymes related, protein pattern, and chlorophyll as well as carotenoid contents. Despite about 30 years of progress this disease, the necessity to combat WBDL is still of interest. In the current study, the role of zinc sulfate and Bordeaux mixture in controlling WBDL was assessed. The study was conducted in completely randomized design in autumn 2017 with three replications, so that each WBDL-infected tree was considered as an experimental replicate. WBDL-infected trees were foliar sprayed with zinc sulfate and Bordeaux mixture. The morphological characteristics, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, total phenol content and protein content were analyzed before and 40 days after treatments. Our obtained data indicated that zinc sulfate treatment can positively change morphological parameters including length leaf (125.2 ± 35.5 %), width leaf (158.3 ± 32.1%) and internode length (231.1 ± 48.8%), while application of Bordeaux mixture showed increasing influence on chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll content in WBDL-infected trees. The total phenol content remained almost steady in zinc sulfate treatment (3.7 ± 1.01 %) in comparison to Bordeaux mixture (-64.7 ± 11.06 %). In addition, Bordeaux mixture and zinc sulfate enjoyed significant influence on PI, about 65 % and 50 % respectively. Their effectiveness on Fv/Fm were 7.7 % in Bordeaux mixture and 5.2 % in zinc sulfate.

The micro-phytoplankton (>20 μm) adaptations and resilience were assessed using morphological traits (shape, surface-to-volume ratio; S:V, and greatest-axial-linear-dimension; GALD) from sea-surface and different SCML-depths (shallow:20-50 m, intermediate:50-100 m, and deep:100-140 m) across different bioregions of Indian Ocean. The dominant simple elongated phytoplankton-geometric-shapes (PGSs) and morphological traits showed distinct north-south distribution and varied with light and nutrient availability. Further, SCML and corresponding sea-surface PGS will be similar or dissimilar if the former is located within or deeper than mixed-layer depth. Also, simple and complex PGS contribution gradually decreases and increases with increasing depth. Additionally, shallow SCML-PGS showed low-S:V and high-GALD while vice-versa for intermediate/deep SCML-PGS due to phenotypic plasticity behavior. Overall, only simple-PGS (cylinder, elliptic-prism, and prism-on-parallelogram) showed strong adaptive behavior through phenotypic plasticity and were highlighted as potential ecological tracers to address ecological impact of oceanographic processes (including coastal eutrophication, and aerosol deposition) linked to nutrient and light availability in predicted ocean change scenarios. [Display omitted] • Assessed microphytoplankton (MP) morphometric traits from the Indian Ocean (IO) • The taxa varied, but shapes showed a similar distribution in the IO. • The simple shapes dominated & showed distinct north-south gradient. • Sub-surface chl max layer depths determined morphological attributes & dominance. • Simple-shaped MP showed strong phenotypic plasticity & a potential ecological proxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in two districts of Borena zone (Ethiopia), with the objectives to characterize phenotypically the indigenous chicken types in the study sites. The study involved both qualitative and quantitative types of research. A total of 480 chickens (144 male and 336 female) aged more than 6 months for the quantitative study were considered in this study. Descriptive statistics, frequency procedures, general linear model, univariate and multivariate analysis were used with SAS 9.1.3 to analyze the data. SPSS package was used to analyze qualitative data. Qualitative traits such as plumage color, comb type, shank color, eye, earlobe color, and skin color were used for the study. Quantitative traits included: body weight and linear morphometric measurements such as shank length, body length, wattle length, wingspan, chest circumference, comb width, and comb length. The result of this study revealed that white, red, and brown plumage color was dominated in the study area. The local chickens possessed variants in shank color, skin color, comb type, and eye color. White shanks, white skin, single combs, and red earlobe color were predominately seen across both the study districts. The mean body weights of indigenous male and female chickens were 1.623± 0.229 kg and 1.313 ± 0.81 kg, respectively. Large comb, wattle, and long legs were observed in the study areas. Generally, morphological and morphometric variations were observed between and within the indigenous chicken populations, which suggests that there is an opportunity for genetic improvement through selection.

• Estimating the primary branch length efficiently enhanced apple tree phenotypes. • Adding color was unable to improve accuracy of objects with similar color features. • Outputs of PointNet++ offered a basis of distinguishing primary branch instance. • Using deep learning to estimate individual apple tree phenotypes was confirmed. • The period for estimating individual apple tree phenotypes was extended. Primary branch length is an important morphological trait of individual apple tree phenotypes. This study presents a novel method for estimating the primary branch lengths of individual apple trees during the deciduous period by distinguishing their instances, i.e., merging those belonging to the same primary branch based on part segmentation outputs of PointNet++. Firstly, colored and colorless 3D-datasets were prepared for training PointNet++ models. The model with higher overall accuracy (OA), class average accuracy (CAA), and mean intersection-over-union (mIoU) was employed to segment the point cloud of a tree into primary branches (PB), trunk (TK), and end-points of primary branches (EPB) of individual apple trees. Skeletonization was applied to the outputs of the three parts of individual apple trees. Subsequently, each primary branch instance was distinguished by determining its corresponding path and retaining the longest path of the same primary branch only. Finally, the primary branch length was estimated by calculating the sum of Euclidean distances between adjacent points on the corresponding path. Results indicated that adding color to point clouds did not improve segmentation accuracy of PointNet++ on segmenting PB, TK, and EPB with similar color features. The PointNet++ model that was trained without color achieved an OA , CAA , and mIoU of 0.84, 0.83, and 0.70, respectively. The proportion of estimated and ground-truth values of the number of primary branches was 93.64 %. The mean absolute percentage error of estimating primary branch lengths was 12.00 %. These findings demonstrate that the proposed method is promising for high-throughput phenotyping of apple trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Smilax weniae (Smilacaceae), from Southwest China, is described and illustrated. The new species bears peltate leaves, which was previously a unique feature of S. luei. However, it differs from the latter by having a broad ovate leaf blade, longer peduncle, and sexual dimorphic flowers. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed that the new species were placed in a unique position in a subclade of Old World Smilax based on ptDNA and nrITS sequences. Combining detailed morphological comparisons and molecular evidence, we validated that S. weniae is an undescribed new species. Moreover, the plastome characteristics of S. weniae are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum is an important staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa, sorghum is mainly intercropped with cowpea, but these intercropping systems are facing low-productivity problems. The overall aim of this research was to identify sorghum varieties with different agro-morphological and physiological traits that could improve the performance of the intercropping systems. We followed a two-step methodology comprising (i) identification of varieties and plant traits of interest in intercropping systems, using participatory methods, and (ii) agro-morpho-physiological characterization of 50 sorghum varieties, to examine the range of variation in traits of interest. The results show that landraces are the varieties most widely used by farmers, and that 82.5% of farmers consider the variety type they choose for intercropping to be important. Farmers mentioned plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter as important traits to consider. Analysis of variance showed significant differences between varieties for half of the 24 agro-morpho-physiological traits studied. Hierarchical clustering identified three main groups of varieties, distinguished by morphological traits such as stem diameter, total number and size of leaves (group 1), root traits (depth, growth angle, dry matter) and relative chlorophyll content (groups 2 and 3). Based on this classification, we recommend several varieties from each of the three groups, exhibiting contrasting traits, for an assessment of their performances in intercropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservative survival strategy of plants growing in harsh karst habitats is observed from the view of plant functional traits, such as morphological traits and ecological stoichiometry. However, whether the plant communities in karst forests with high species turnover adopt a conservative strategy remains undetermined. This study comprehensively investigated the characteristics of functional traits of dominant plant species in four forests (i.e. Platycarya strobilacea, Quercus fabri, Quercus variabilis, and Pinus massoniana forests) in a trough‐valley karst watershed in Northern Guizhou Province, Southwestern China to explore the adaptation strategy of karst forests at the community level. At the organ and the species levels, traits differed among species, and the leaf and the bark morphological traits and root C:N:P ecological stoichiometry presented large interspecific variations. At the community level, the P. massoniana forest presented the lowest specific root length and dry matter content and tissue density of roots, branch, twig, and bark; the Q. fabri and the Q. variabilis forests displayed low specific leaf area and high dry matter content and tissue density of roots, branch, and twig; and the Platycarya strobilacea forest exhibited high specific leaf area. The P. massoniana forest was subjected to N and P colimitation, and the three other broad‐leaved forests were limited by P supply. The community‐weighted means rather than the arithmetic means of traits were preferential to represent the trait characteristics at the community level. From the view of plant functional traits at the community level, karst forests develop multiple functional traits like low specific leaf area, high dry matter content and tissue density of leaf, roots, branch, and twig, and decrease N and P investments in leaf for a conservative survival strategy to adapt to harsh habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to census accomplished in 2001, only 9% of Italian poultry breeds are still widespread. This project aims to describe morphological variability and genetic background among 13 Italian autochthonous chicken breeds, 10 from Northern Italy and 3 from Central Italy. An updated biometrical measurement protocol was established starting from phenotypic characterization guidelines released by FAO. Six traits were registered on each animal: live body weight (LBW), body length (BL), shank length (SL), shank width (SW), breast width (BW), and wingspan (WS). Moreover, all breeds were genotyped using the Affymetrix 600 K Chicken SNP Array, in order to evaluate genetic variability and population structure. Means of BL and BW showed low variability among breeds, with the lowest value in Pepoi (BL = 32.29 ± 1.57 cm and BW = 28.92 ± 1.93 cm), and maximum in Robusta Lionata for BL (46.79 ± 1.66 cm) and in Robusta Maculata for BW (42.33 ± 3.60 cm). On the contrary, average LBW varied notably among breeds, with the highest value for Robusta Maculata (♂ 4,221.7 ± 450.6 g; ♀ 2,831.7 ± 253.2 g) and the lowest values for Modenese males (1,695.0 ± 128.1 g) and Pepoi females (1,293.3 ± 219.2 g). The lowest observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) were obtained for Padovana Argentata (Ho: 0.151 ± 0.198; He: 0.146 ± 0.185) and the highest for Millefiori di Lonigo (Ho: 0.293 ± 0.199; He: 0.291 ± 0.178). Furthermore, multidimensional scaling plot showed clear genetic identity for each breed, with clusters formed according to geographical and historical origin of the breeds, which were confirmed in neighbor networks. In conclusion, local breeds have conserved authentic genetic patterns and these results can help improve conservation strategies.

Livestock grazing puts major anthropogenic pressure on biological communities worldwide. Not all species are expected to be affected in the same way, and the impacts will depend on species' traits. Focusing on traits thus helps identify the mechanisms underlying changes in community composition under grazing pressures. We investigated how fine-scale grazing heterogeneity affects the trait composition and diversity of dung beetle assemblages in Western Europe. We sampled dung beetles in habitat patches differing in terms of grazing intensity within rangelands of two distinct biogeographical areas: a Mediterranean lowland steppe and Western alpine meadows. We measured five morphological traits expected to respond to the local-scale filtering pressure exerted by variations in grazing intensity. Using individual-based data, we assessed responses in terms of single-trait mean values in communities and complementary trait diversity indices. We found strong shifts in trait composition and diversity between the habitat patches. In both study areas, variations in habitat conditions are likely to have filtered the local occurrence and abundance of dung beetles by the mean of traits such as body mass (which have several functional implications), as well as traits linked to underground activity. We hypothesize that fine-scale variation in resource availability (i.e., droppings) and disturbance intensity (i.e., trampling) are key drivers of the observed patterns in species assemblages. Trait richness peaks at moderate grazing intensity in both study areas, suggesting that patches with an intermediated level of available resources and soil disturbance enable individuals with a greater range of autecological requirements to coexist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural hybridization can influence the adaptive response to selection and accelerate species diversification. Understanding the composition and structure of hybrid zones may elucidate patterns of hybridization processes that are important to the formation and maintenance of species, especially for taxa that have experienced rapidly adaptive radiation. Here, we used morphological traits, ddRAD-seq and plastid DNA sequence data to investigate the structure of a Rhododendron hybrid zone and uncover the hybridization patterns among three sympatric and closely related species. Results: Our results show that the hybrid zone is complex, where bi-directional hybridization takes place among the three sympatric parental species: R. spinuliferum, R. scabrifolium, and R. spiciferum. Hybrids between R. spinuliferum and R. spiciferum (R. ×duclouxii) comprise multiple hybrid classes and a high proportion of F1 generation hybrids, while a novel hybrid taxon between R. spinuliferum and R. scabrifolium dominated the F2 generation, but no backcross individuals were detected. The hybrid zone showed basically coincident patterns of population structure between genomic and morphological data. Conclusions: Natural hybridization exists among the three Rhododendron species in the hybrid zone, although patterns of hybrid formation vary between hybrid taxa, which may result in different evolutionary outcomes. This study represents a unique opportunity to dissect the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms associated with adaptive radiation of Rhododendron species in a biodiversity hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: As the two largest components of plant detritus input, leaf and root litter together determine ecosystem vegetation turnover and nutrient cycling rates. However, the similarities and differences between the factors controlling their decomposition remain unknown. We evaluated the relationship between leaf and fine root litter decomposition across biomes and analysed how litter traits, climate, soil conditions and decomposers shape their relationship. Location: Global. Time period: 1984–2020. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We collected 352 paired leaf and fine root decomposition rates (k values) and ancillary traits, climate, soil condition and decomposer abundance data from 88 sites spanning the major global biomes. Boosted regression trees (BRTs) were applied to partition the factors that control root and leaf decomposition rates. Results: Averaged across all biomes, leaf litter decomposes significantly faster (kleaf =.72) than fine root litter (kroot =.42). The BRTs indicated that plant traits best explained the variance in both leaf and root litter decomposition. The key chemical traits of leaf litter and fine root litter, including C:N, [P], N:P, [lignin], [cellulose], [non‐structural carbohydrates] and [tannins], were positively correlated. Therefore, leaf and fine root k values were positively correlated within and across biomes, even after removing the influence of climate, soil conditions and decomposers. However, climate and decomposers had different impacts on leaf and fine root decomposition. Climate induced a greater impact on fine root litter decomposition, whereas decomposers had a greater influence on leaf litter decomposition. Main conclusions: Our finding indicates that plants evolve a coordinated nutrient supply‐and‐demand strategy. The plants with high nutrient demand produce labile leaf and fine root litter, which decomposes fast to meet their high nutrient requirements. However, leaf and fine root decomposition are also mediated by different combinations of trait, climate, soil condition and decomposer factors, which weakens the coordination between leaf and fine root decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A key focus of ecologists is explaining the origin and maintenance of morphological diversity and its association with ecological success. We investigate potential benefits and costs of a common and varied morphological trait, cuticular spines, for foraging behavior, interspecific competition, and predator–prey interactions in naturally co‐occurring spiny ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Polyrhachis) in an experimental setting. We expect that a defensive trait like spines might be associated with more conspicuous foraging, a greater number of workers sent out to forage, and potentially increased competitive ability. Alternatively, consistent with the ecological trade‐off hypothesis, we expect that investment in spines for antipredator defense might be negatively correlated with these other ecological traits. We find little evidence for any costs to ecological traits, instead finding that species with longer spines either outperform or do not differ from species with shorter spines for all tested metrics, including resource discovery rate and foraging effort as well as competitive ability and antipredator defense. Spines appear to confer broad antipredator benefits and serve as a form of defense with undetectable costs to key ecological abilities like resource foraging and competitive ability, providing an explanation for both the ecological success of the study genus and the large number of evolutionary origins of this trait across all ants. This study also provides a rare quantitative empirical test of ecological effects related to a morphological trait in ants.

Summary: The number of teats is a reproductive‐related trait of great economic relevance as it affects the mothering ability of the sows and thus the number of properly weaned piglets. Moreover, genetic improvement of this trait is fundamental to parallelly help the selection for increased litter size. We present the results of single‐marker and haplotypes‐based genome‐wide association studies for the number of teats in two large cohorts of heavy pig breeds (Italian Large White and Italian Landrace) including 3990 animals genotyped with the 70K GGP Porcine BeadChip and other 1927 animals genotyped with the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip. In the Italian Large White population, genome scans identified three genome regions (SSC7, SSC10, and SSC12) that confirmed the involvement of the VRTN gene (as we previously reported) and highlighted additional loci known to affect teat counts, including the FRMD4A and HOXB1 gene regions. A different picture emerged in the Italian Landrace population, with a total of 12 genome regions in eight chromosomes (SSC3, SSC6, SSC8, SSC11, SSC13, SSC14, SSC15, and SSC16) mainly detected via the haplotype‐based genome scan. The most relevant QTL was close to the ARL4C gene on SSC15. Markers in the VRTN gene region were not significant in the Italian Landrace breed. The use of both single‐marker and haplotype‐based genome‐wide association analyses can be helpful to exploit and dissect the genome of the pigs of different populations. Overall, the obtained results supported the polygenic nature of the investigated trait and better elucidated its genetic architecture in Italian heavy pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional trait ecology demonstrates the significance of the leaf economics spectrum in understanding plants’ trade-off between acquisitive and conservative resource utilization. However, whether trait variations of different vegetative organs are coordinated and whether the plant economics spectrum is characterized by more than one vegetative organ remain controversial. To gain insights into these questions, within a tropical cloud forest in Hainan Island, a total of 13 functional traits of 84 tree species were analyzed here, including leaf, stem and root traits. By using standardized major axis (SMA) regression and principal components analysis, we examined the trait variations and correlations for deciphering plants’ trade-off pattern. We found decreases of leaf phosphorus content, leaf nitrogen content and specific leaf area and increases of leaf mass per unit area (LMA), wood density and leaf thickness along the first principal component, while there were decreases of specific root length and specific root area and increases of root tissue density along the second principal component. Root phosphorus and nitrogen contents were significantly positively associated with the phosphorus and nitrogen contents of both stem and leaf. Wood density was significantly positively associated with LMA and leaf thickness, but negatively associated with leaf thickness and specific leaf area. Our results indicate that, in the tropical cloud forest, there is a “fast–slow” economic spectrum characterized by leaf and stem. Changes of nutrient trait are coordinated, whereas the relationships of morphological traits varied independently between plant above- and below-ground parts, while root nutrient traits are decoupled from root morphological traits. Our findings can provide an insight into the species coexistence and community assembly in high-altitude tropical forests.

Functional trait ecology demonstrates the significance of the leaf economics spectrum in understanding plants' trade-off between acquisitive and conservative resource utilization. However, whether trait variations of different vegetative organs are coordinated and whether the plant economics spectrum is characterized by more than one vegetative organ remain controversial. To gain insights into these questions, within a tropical cloud forest in Hainan Island, a total of 13 functional traits of 84 tree species were analyzed here, including leaf, stem and root traits. By using standardized major axis (SMA) regression and principal components analysis, we examined the trait variations and correlations for deciphering plants' trade-off pattern. We found decreases of leaf phosphorus content, leaf nitrogen content and specific leaf area and increases of leaf mass per unit area (LMA), wood density and leaf thickness along the first principal component, while there were decreases of specific root length and specific root area and increases of root tissue density along the second principal component. Root phosphorus and nitrogen contents were significantly positively associated with the phosphorus and nitrogen contents of both stem and leaf. Wood density was significantly positively associated with LMA and leaf thickness, but negatively associated with leaf thickness and specific leaf area. Our results indicate that, in the tropical cloud forest, there is a "fast–slow" economic spectrum characterized by leaf and stem. Changes of nutrient trait are coordinated, whereas the relationships of morphological traits varied independently between plant above- and below-ground parts, while root nutrient traits are decoupled from root morphological traits. Our findings can provide an insight into the species coexistence and community assembly in high-altitude tropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative genetic regulators of phenotypic heterogeneity, or phenotypic capacitors/stabilizers, elevate population average fitness by limiting deviation from the optimal phenotype and increase the efficacy of natural selection by enhancing the phenotypic differences among genotypes. Stabilizers can presumably be switched off to release phenotypic heterogeneity in the face of extreme or fluctuating environments to ensure population survival. This task could, however, also be achieved by positive genetic regulators of phenotypic heterogeneity, or "phenotypic diversifiers," as shown by recently reported evidence that a bacterial divisome factor enhances antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that such active creation of phenotypic heterogeneity by diversifiers, which is functionally independent of stabilizers, is more common than previously recognized. Using morphological phenotypic data from 4,718 single-gene knockout strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , we systematically identified 324 stabilizers and 160 diversifiers and constructed a bipartite network between these genes and the morphological traits they control. Further analyses showed that, compared with stabilizers, diversifiers tended to be weaker and more promiscuous (regulating more traits) regulators targeting traits unrelated to fitness. Moreover, there is a general division of labor between stabilizers and diversifiers. Finally, by incorporating NCI-60 human cancer cell line anticancer drug screening data, we found that human one-to-one orthologs of yeast diversifiers/stabilizers likely regulate the anticancer drug resistance of human cancer cell lines, suggesting that these orthologs are potential targets for auxiliary treatments. Our study therefore highlights stabilizers and diversifiers as the genetic regulators for the bidirectional control of phenotypic heterogeneity as well as their distinct evolutionary roles and functional independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The genetic and essential oil diversity of twenty basil populations were studied. • The studied populations had significant diversity in terms of phenotypic features. • The highest coefficient of variation was obtained in leaf color and herb weight. • Methyl chavicol was the major compound in the studied essential oils. • ISSR markers showed a high diversity between the studied agro-ecotypic populations. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is an important leafy aromatic herb that is widely cultivated throughout the world and used as a fresh vegetable and spice. In this study, genetic structure, agro-morphological, and essential oil variability among twenty Iranian agro-ecotypic populations (AEPs) of the plant was studied to find adequate samples for further use in breeding and exploitation programs. For this purpose, the seeds of 100 individuals from AEPs were collected and cultivated in a completely randomized block design. Significant agro-morphological and essential oil diversity was found among the cultivated AEPs. The highest coefficient of variation was obtained in leaf color (39.25 %) and herb weight (36.65 %). The essential oil content varied from 0.34 to 1.95 w/w% among the studied samples characterized with methyl chavicol (19.93‒43.64 %) and geraniol (6.15‒37.43 %) as the major compounds. A total of 101 bands were obtained from fourteen inter-simple sequence repeats markers (ISSR) used, of which 95 bands were polymorphic (6.79 %). The polymorphic information content for the primers varied from 0.08 (IS13) to 0.37 (UBC878). Analysis of molecular variance of AEPs revealed that 79.0 % of the variation was at the intra-population level, while the variation between populations was 21.0 %. The dendrogram based on ISSR markers showed a high diversity between the AEPs. Multiple regression analysis showed that ISSR bands had a significant correlation with phenotypical and essential oil characteristics. The extraordinary diversity in terms of the studied parameters indicates the ability of AEPs to be selected and used in breeding, cultivation, and production programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between morphological traits and feeding ecology of the only two tilapiine cichlids (Sarotherodon galilaeus and Oreochromis niloticus) in Lake Geriyo, northeastern Nigeria, was examined. Stomach contents of 504 individuals were examined and analyzed to relate morphological differences of each species to its dietary preferences. Eleven ecological relevant morphological variables, including total length, standard length, head length, body depth, eye diameter, pectoral spine length, pelvic spine length, dorsal fin ray count, dorsal spine count and anal fin ray count, were also measured and subjected to Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) to relate morphological differences of each species to its dietary preferences. The PCoA (using Euclidean distance) revealed a large morphological distance between species indicating adaptation for different spatial and vertical distributions within the lake. Furthermore, the correlation of these morphological differences with particular diet categories suggests a potential for specialized trophic tendencies, however, the high occurrence of two major food types (macrophytes and plankton) in stomach contents of both species indicate generalist trophic tendencies. While a high trophic overlap index (0.98) was recorded for both species, the trophic niche breadth was higher for S. galilaeus (4.18±0.32), compared to O. niloticus (3.33±0.24). Despite the large morphological differences of both tilapias, the high trophic overlaps indicate limited food options within Lake Geriyo. In addition, the successful coexistence of the tilapias in the face of limited food resources indicates suitable partitioning of food resources in the lake.

In functional ecology, morphology is expected to reflect function; however, occasional decoupling of these two can be found. In the case of feeding ecology, the diversity of the diet or diversity of the feeding modes within a clade is expected to be positively related to the diversity of the morphological traits involved in the feeding performance. Parrotfishes are separated into two main groups, the “reef” clade and the “seagrass” clade. Both groups have important differences in their evolutionary history. Still, more interestingly, they have important morphological and ecological differences. The genera Scarus and Sparisoma are the most specious genera of parrotfishes. They belong to each of those main groups, respectively. All Scarus species have the same feeding mode, while in Sparisoma, there are three different feeding modes. We want to test if the morphological jaw diversity of these genera corresponds with the diversity in their feeding modes. Using a disparity analysis of feeding traits within a phylogenetical framework, we did not find a relationship between functional feeding morphology and feeding modes of the American parrotfishes of the genera Scarus and Sparisoma. Interestingly we found that some muscular traits are the source of the high disparity in the genus Scarus. We explore some possible morpho-functional reasons for this phenomenon and reappraise the parrotfishes’ scraper feeding mode’s functional diversity. We also consider that there could be more ecological differentiation between Scarus species that we are aware of. Using an ancestral reconstruction of feeding modes of 52 species of parrotfishes, we found that the scraping feeding mode exhibited by all Scarus species is an evolutionary convergence with the scraping feeding modes performed by some Sparisoma species. Different selective pressures or ecological conditions may have shaped the differences in the feeding ecology and the feeding morphology of these two genera. Probably, key novel structures and muscular properties found in the Scarus species’ jaw played an essential role in this genus’s morpho-functional diversification. Finally, we propose that feeding modes may not fully capture the complexity of feeding ecology in parrotfishes.